Full Text: Press Release by IFJ
The director of the Radio Sector of the North Darfur State Radio and Television Corporation, Ahmed Mohamed Saleh Sayyidna, was killed on 13 April by indiscriminate shelling carried out by the Rapid Support Force (RSF) paramilitary group in the city of El Fasher. His death follows the killing of three journalists and a driver from Sudanese National Television on 1 March while on assignment in Khartoum. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Sudanese Journalists Union (SJU), in condemning these heinous killings in the strongest possible terms and calls for a swift investigation.
In 2024, the deadliest country for journalists in Africa was Sudan, according to the IFJ Killed List. By April 2025, the grim trend was following a similar pattern as the death of journalist Ahmed Mohamed Saleh Sayyidna on 13 April was preceded by the killing of four media workers in March.
The RSF militia killed three journalists from Sudanese National Television and their driver while covering events at the presidential palace in Khartoum on 1 March. Farouk Ahmed Mohamed Al-Zaher, a producer of programmes at the Sudanese National Television; Ibrahim Mohamed Mudawi, a director of programmes; Magdy Abdel Rahman Fakhr El-Din, a cameraman; and Waji Jaafar Mohammed Onwar, a driver; were killed in a drone attack.
The SJU condemned the deliberate targeting of journalists during the ongoing war in the country, which is entering its third year.
IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, condemned the killings and reiterated that journalists must not be targets of attacks, including in conflict areas. “In 2024, the IFJ recorded the killing of six journalists in Sudan, and the RSF has been implicated in most of those killings. We are saddened by the outrageous killings of our colleagues and recall that journalists are civilians and should be protected at all times, especially during war. Attacking media workers is completely unacceptable and cannot be overlooked. We call for a swift investigation that brings the perpetrators to justice.”
The IFJ extends its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased journalists and demands that warring parties stop killing journalists.